[ROYC75]

OK, this is a long one and this wasn't my last tango, but it was my 1st as a cop without any backup.

It was 1983, LaCygne,Ks, I was home that evening before duty. Since I was the only cop in town with 1 ( Jeff ) backup reserve cop available, I got a call from the sheriffs office of a disturbance. It's about 6:00 pm and the reserve cop is home so I have him come right over.

The call, a local guy named Gene Trinkle, ( 6'6" 285# and mean as a snake @ 63 yrs old ) who has been the giant in town for 45 years that all the local and sherriff's officers feared, along with towns people. He was drunk at the local tavern, destroying the place.

The sheriff's department advised backup was enroute, but it would take 30 - 40 minutes to get there, for me to wait, it has always taken 3 to 4 men to take this guy in.

The owner of the local tavern called me and said he has hit a few people and threw a chair at the glass behind the bar. At that time, I left to the scene not waiting for backup, just my 135# reserve cop at my side. At the time, I'm 25 yrs old,6'4" 225 # and solid, still active in physical workouts.

I get there and the place was ramsacked, he had destroyed the place, sitting down drinking beer that he had not paid for and selectively took from the bar.

Never ever meeting this guy ( as I was on the job for only 2 weeks ) he was the only guy in the tavern. I said, Gene, would please come with me outside, the owners request that you leave. He looked at me and started to laugh. Who's taking me in, you and that sawed off tooth pick you have with ya. ( Be advised the reserve cop was a stickboy, a real to life rainman ). I advised him that if I must take him out, I would do so.

He laughed and said " fuck You Pig " then threw his can of beer at me , charging like an animal. I stand there and waited till he got to me, moved just in time to see him hit the wall, head first. I'm thinking, Ouch, that's gotta hurt...... NO WAY.....It pissed him off.

Here he comes back, we tango, crashing into tables, chairs, etc. I finally get him in a hammer lock as we were standing.... the reserve cop was just in the way, probally by design and desire for that matter.

The hammer lock even pissed him off more, he took off running with me behind him , hammer lock secured towards the front door. Yep, thru the front door we go, which at that time was only an aluminun glass and screen door. I had parked the patrol car right in front of the door of the tavern. We stopped at the patrol car, due to both of us crashing into it
front bumper, head and shoulder first. At this same damn time, I thinking this basturd is so drunk, he doesn't feel any pain and I feel like I have tangoed with King Kong and Godzilla rolled into one.

For some reason, at that time, I'm not sure if he had given up or was physically drained. Whatever the reason was, I was whopped, I hurt like hell, pissed off I had to wrestle this animal, I got one hand cuffed.

As I cuffed the other hand and took him to the car I could hear the backup coming. I looked up and was wondering where Jeff was ( the reserve cop ), he was inside laid out. 3 backup units got to me with 5 minutes apart, all were shaking there heads that he was cuffed and in the car. All wondered why I didn't wait until finding out some people were hurt after the dispatching of units. Booked him into the county jail and went home with some soreness, it didn't feel to bad , or so I thought.

The next 3 weeks I had to pay a daily visit to the Chiropractor. I had more damn pinched nerves in my back, neck, I could hardly move.

I saw this same animal about a month later, he came up to me and apologised and told me it would never happen again because not only was I the 1st to take him in ever, he was too old for this shit.

I politely told him it will never happen again either, next time I will take my gun and shoot your ass.

Moral of this story..... Never under estimate the ability of old men.